The Mistress of the Copper Mountain

Nikita will tell a story in Russian about the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, a spirit that protects underground gemstones and metals. She is a beautiful young woman dressed in a malachite gown or a lizard in a crown. She can be in favour of miners or hide everything from them. Respect her and you will be rich. Offend her and you might never see the light of the Sun again...Никита расскажет историю о Хозяйке Медной Горы, покровительнице подземных сокровищ. Она - молодая красивая девушка, одетая в малахит, или ящерка с короной на голове. Она может благоволить добытчикам, а может спрятать руду от них. Уважай её - и ты будешь богат. Обидь - и ты можешь больше не увидеть света белого...

Nikita Koptev is a PhD student at NUIG. He studies the Irish language and Folklore and works with texts from schoolchildren, collected in 1937-1939. He is a traveller and passionate about mountains (big hills are great too!). He is a storyteller and attentive listener (since every person has a story to tell). He speaks Russian (as a mother tongue), fluent English and Irish (ach, faraor, níl a chuid Gaeilge go hiontach!).

Follow Us

Dublin Festival funded by

Galway Festival funded by

About Mother Tongues

Mother Tongues is an organization that aims to raise awareness of the benefits and challenges associated with bilingualism. We provide advice and support for parents, education professionals, health care professionals, businesses and for anyone working in multilingual environments.FIND OUT MORE